By Robina Nguyen
“I was a sex slave to Europe’s elite at age 6.”
In 1969, human trafficking survivor Anneke Lucas was sold into sexual slavery. Her mother trafficked her to a sex trafficking ring run by Belgium’s political and business elite for nearly six years. Despite North America’s lasting history of human trafficking, many incidents were only recently brought to light. Anneke’s story is not a “wake-up call.” The same alarm has been ringing since the Atlantic slave trade, but we kept hitting snooze.
Human trafficking is not only a widespread phenomenon in developing countries. It is a global criminal industry that continues to expand as authorities turn a blind eye. The U.S. Department of State estimates that 40 million people work in modern slave industries. Of this rough estimate, women and girls account for 71% of human trafficking victims.
The question remains: why is human trafficking’s prevalence so minimized in discussions about social justice?
The underground nature of human trafficking results in low prosecution rates globally. It is often described as a “low risk/high profit” activity. Each year, human trafficking accumulates over $150 billion globally. The relatively low prosecution rates worldwide and lack of attention from the justice system are incentives for human traffickers. A study estimated that as little as 14% of human trafficking cases were represented in one jurisdiction. Of this percentage, 46.4% of human trafficking charges were dropped or acquitted. Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal industries– like invasive species, we need to address its roots in order to weed it out. Low prosecution rates are deeply rooted in fostering human trafficking. Failing to convict traffickers of their crimes encourages them to expand their industries. The fight against human trafficking demands further acknowledgement and action from the justice system.
While human trafficking is a global crime that may target anyone, certain demographics are more susceptible than others. Homeless youth, people of colour, and young women or girls are among the most vulnerable. Human traffickers entrap their victims by manipulating and exploiting their vulnerabilities. In building these systems of oppression, society creates an opening for traffickers to use and exploit. Native American women account for 40% of female trafficking victims. Systemic flaws (i.e. low levels of law enforcement) leave Native Americans at-risk. A more recent study indicates a direct correlation between colonization and the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous people for prostitution. Respectively, youth in the child welfare system are particularly susceptible to human trafficking. Childhood maltreatment, lack of parental oversight, and constant uprooting are risk factors that make them particularly vulnerable. These gaps in equality create more opportunities for traffickers to exploit people.
In the words of James Baldwin, “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” As human trafficking prevails, ignorance and lack of education remain one of its leading causes. Federal laws describe human trafficking as a practice involving the illegal transportation of foreigners for forced labour or sexual exploitation. In reality, most victims are trafficked by major industries, online, or at the hands of someone they know. The most pervasive myth is that human trafficking always involves abduction or physical force– most traffickers use defrauding, coercion, and manipulation to ploy their victims into providing labour. Trauma bonding– an emotional attachment reinforced by the abuser– is among the most common forms of manipulation that traffickers use. Crystal Raypole, a Psychologist and writer for Healthline, describes trauma bonding as a “repeated cycle of abuse, devaluation, and positive reinforcement.” Victims of trauma bonding will be dependent on praise and reward from their abuser as a reprieve from their suffering. They may attempt to rationalize or justify their trafficker’s actions.
Oftentimes, the psychological effects of human trafficking prevent the victim from understanding that they are being trafficked. Our first steps begin with understanding human trafficking, debunking myths, and providing a safe platform for survivors to speak out. Paving the way to accessible education is a crucial step in recognizing human trafficking and taking action.
Dismantling human trafficking calls for more effective prosecution, steps towards closing gaps in equality, and providing available resources. The prevalence of human trafficking in the modern world requires more than just acknowledgement– it demands frequent action, understanding, and condemnation from everyone. Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid and human rights activist, says, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Revolution is not a one-time event.
Sources
Anneke Lucas: I Was a Sex Slave to Europe’s Elite at Age 6 (ORIGINAL)
About Human Trafficking
Report: Majority of trafficking victims are women and girls; one-third children
Gaps in Reporting Human Trafficking Incidents Result in Significant Undercounting
Trauma Bonding: What It Is and How to Cope
What Makes Someone Vulnerable to Human Trafficking?
“What is Human Trafficking?”
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